Heathen's Master book of write Book 1

World Calendar 2

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Song of the Goddess

Be careful what you ask for....

October

 

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October, the tenth month of the current Gregorian calendar and the second month of Autumn's rule, derives its name from octo, the Latin word meaning "eight," as October was the eighth month of the old Roman calendar.

The traditional birthstone amulets of October are opal, rose sapphire, and tourmaline; and the calendula is the month's traditional flower.

October is shared by the astrological signs of Libra the Scales (or Balance) and Scorpio the Scorpion, and is sacred to the following Pagan deities: Cernunnos, Hecate, the Morrigan, Osiris, and the Wiccan Goddess in Her dark aspect as the Crone.

During the month of October, the Great Solar Wheel of the Year is turned to Halloween (Samhain Eve), one of the four Grand Sabbats celebrated each year by Wiccans and modern Witches throughout the world.

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October 1

On this date (approximately), hundreds of thousands of Muslims make a pilgrimage to the city of Mecca to kiss and touch the Black Stone (one of the original building blocks of a veiled shrine) and to worship their god Allah. They then drink some water from the nearby sacred Well of Ishmael, and journey up into the hills of Safa and Marwa to recite prayers.

 

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October 2

Guiding Spirits Day. On this day, light a white candle on you altar and give thanks to your spirit guide (or guides) for guarding over you and guiding you through your spiritual development. If you wish to communicated with or meet your spirit guide, use a Ouija board or, through prayer, invite the spirit guide to come to you in a dream or in a trance.

 

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October 3

On this date (approximately), a Cementation and Propitiation Festival was once celebrated by the Native American tribe of the Cherokee. The purpose of the festival was to remove the barriers between the Cherokee people and the deities they worshiped.

 

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October 4

On this date in ancient Rome, a day of feasting known as the Jejunium Cereris was observed in honor of Ceres (Mother Earth), the corn-goddess and protectress of agriculture and all fruits of the Earth.

 

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October 5

The Festival of the Old Woman (Nubaigai) is celebrated annually on this date by farm workers in Lithuania. The last sheaf of grain is dressed up as a woman and a festival of feasting, merriment, and games is held to honor the goddess of the corn.

In the country of Rumania, the Dionysiad wine festival was held annually on this date in honor of Dionysus, Ariadne, and the Maenads.

 

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October 6

On this date, an annual nine-day religious festival begins in Nepal to honor the great Hindu god Vishnu and to celebrate his awakening on a bed of serpents. As part of an ancient tradition, secret offerings are made to the god and placed in unripe pumpkins.

 

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October 7

In the fifteenth century, peasants in Germany celebrated a week-long festival called the Kermesse. A Pagan icon (or some other sacred object) would be unearthed from its yearlong burial spot and then paraded through the village on top of gaily decorated pole. After a week of feasting, dancing, and games, the villagers would dress up in their mourning attire and rebury the icon in its grave, where it would remain until the next year's Kermesse.

On this date in the year 1909, famous author and Gardnerian Witch Arnold Crowther was born in Kent, England. He was initiated into the Craft in 1960 by Patricia Dawson, whom he later married. He passed away on Beltane-Sabbat in the year 1974.

 

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October 8

On this day, an annual good luck festival called Chung Yeung Day (the Festival of High Places) is celebrated in China. Traditionally good omen kites are flown to carry away evil spirits. The festival also commemorates an ancient Chinese scholar named Huan Ching who, upon heeding the warning of a soothsayer, escaped with his family and friends high into the hills and thereby avoided a mysterious plague of death which swept through the village below, killing every living thing in sight.

 

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October 9

Day of Felicitas. A festival celebrating the ancient Roman goddess of luck and good fortune was held annually on this date in many parts of Italy. For many Wiccans and modern Witches, it is a time for casting spells and making amulets to attract good luck or to end a streak of bad luck.

 

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October 10

Throughout the country of Brazil, the annual Festival of Light begins on this date. The centuries-old festival, which is celebrated for two consecutive weeks, includes a parade of penance and the lighting of candles, torches, and hearth-fires to symbolically drive away the spirits of darkness who bring evil and misfortune.

 

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October 11

Every year on this date, Witches in the countries of Denmark and Germany honor the Old Lady of the Elder Trees, an ancient Pagan spirit who dwells within and watches over each and every tree of the elder family. Before cutting any branches to use as magick wands, a libation of elderberry wine is poured onto the tree's roots and a special prayer is recited.

 

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October 12

On this date in the year 1875, famous occultists and ceremonial magician Aleister Crowley was born in Warwickshire, England. He authored many popular and controversial books on the subject of magick, and was notorious for his rites of sex magick, ceremonial sorcery, and blood sacrifices. Crowley often referred to himself as the Beast of the Apocalypse and was nicknamed The Wickedest Man in the world by the news media and by many who knew him personally. He died on December 1, 1947, and after his cremation, his ashes were shipped to his followers in the United States of America.

Also on this date in the year 1888, famous ceremonial magician and occult author Eliphas Levi died.

 

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October 13

On this date in the year 1917, the Goddess in the guise of the Virgin Mary made her final visit (as promised earlier that year) to three children in the Portuguese town of Fatima. She revealed many predictions to the children, and a crowd of over 70,000 pilgrims who gathered for the miraculous event witnessed a strange object--resembling a huge silver disk blazing with colored flames--fly through the sky.

 

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October 14

Each year on this date, the planets of the Milky Way galaxy are honored and celebrated by an event known as Interplanetary Confederation Day.

In Bangladesh, an annual festival called Durga Puja is celebrated on this day to commemorate the great Mother-Goddess Durga and her triumph over the forces of evil.

 

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October 15

On this date in ancient Rome, a sacred harvest festival dedicated to the god Mars was celebrated with a chariot race, followed by the sacrifice of the slowest horse. (Before becoming a god of battle, Mars was originally a deity associated with fertility and agriculture).

 

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October 16

Each year on this date, the Festival of the Goddess of Fortune (Lakshmi Puji) is celebrated in Nepal. The goddess Lakshmi is honored with prayers, sacred chants, and offerings of flower petals and fragrant incense.

 

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October 17

Once a year on this date, the Japanese Shinto ceremony of Kan-name-Sai (God Tasting Event) takes place. The ancient goddess of the Sun and other imperial ancestors are honored with an offering of rice from the season's first crop.

 

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October 18

In England, the Great Horned Fair takes place annually on this day to celebrate the wondrous powers of nature and fertility. Many Pagans and Wiccans (especially of the Gardnerian tradition) perform a special ceremony on this day in honor of Cernunnos, the Horned God of hunting, fertility, and wild animals. He is also the consort of the Goddess, and a symbol of the male principle. At this time, many priests of Wiccan covens perform a sacred ritual called Drawing Down the Sun.

 

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October 19

On this day, an annual fair called Bettara-Ichi ("Sticky-Sticky Fair") is held in Tokyo, Japan near the sacred shrine of the god Ebisu. Children carry sticky pickled radishes tied to straw ropes through the streets in order to chase away evil spirits and to receive blessings from the seven Shinto gods of good luck.

 

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October 20

On this date in the year 1949, Wiccan priestess and spiritual healer Selena Fox was born in Arlington, Virginia. In 1974, with the help of Jim Alan and a small group of Neo-Pagan friends, she formed Circle Sanctuary in Wisconsin. She is known as one of the leading religious-freedom activists in the Wiccan and Neo-Pagan movements.

 

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October 21

In the former Czechoslovakia, an annual festival known as the Day of Ursala is held on this date in honor Ursala, the ancient lunar goddess of Slavic mythology who

later became Saint Ursala.

 

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October 22

In Japan, the purifying Festival of Fire (Hi Matsuri) is celebrated annually on this night. A traditional torchlight procession parades through the streets of Kurama and ends at a sacred shrine, where the ancient gods are believed to return to Earth at the stroke of midnight.

 

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October 23

On this date (approximately), the Sun enters the astrological sign of Scorpio. Persons born under the sign of the Scorpion are said to be magnetic, psychic, imaginative, mysterious, and often prone to jealous obsessions. Scorpio is a water sign and is ruled by the planets Mars and Pluto.

 

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October 24

On this day, many Wiccans from around the world celebrate the annual Feast of the Spirits of Air. Incense is offered up to the Sylphs (who often take the form of butterflies), and rituals involving dreams and/or the powers of the mind are performed.

This day is sacred to Arianrhod, Cardea, Dione, Diti, Gula, Lilith, Maat,

Minerva, and Sophia.

 

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October 25

Shoemaker's Day is celebrated annually on this date in honor of Saint Crispin, the patron of shoemakers who was beheaded in the third century A.D. According to legend, a new pair of shoes bought on this day will bring good luck and prosperity to their owner.

 

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October 26

Birthday of the Earth. According to the calculations of a seventeenth century Anglican archbishop, the Earth was created on this date in the year 4004 BC.

On this date in the year 1440, Giles de Rais (one of the most notorious necromancers in history) was hanged in France as punishment for practicing black magick and making human sacrifices to the Devil, among other crimes.

 

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October 27

Allan Apple Day. In Cornwall, England, an old Pagan method of love divination is traditionally performed each year on this day. A single gentleman or lady who wishes to see his or her future spouse must sleep with an Allan apple under his or her pillow, then get out of bed before the crack of dawn the next day. The person then waits under a tree for the first person of the opposite sex to walk by. According to the legend, the passerby will be the future marriage mate.

 

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October 28

In ancient times, the Phoenician sun-god Baal of the Heavens was honored annually on or around this date. He presided over nature and fertility, and was associated with Winter rain. Sacred sun-symbolizing bonfires were lit in his honor by his worshipers in Syria. Depicted as a warrior with a horned helmet and spear, he was once worshipped as the principal god on Earth for thousands of years.

In ancient Egypt, a series of Autumn ceremonies for the goddess Isis began each year on this date. They lasted for six consecutive days.

 

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October 29

On this date in the year 1939, ceremonial magician and occult author Frater Zarathustra was born in Baltimore, Maryland. Frater founded the Temple of Truth in 1972 and was publisher and editor of the White Light (a magazine of ceremonial magick) from 1973 until it ceased publication in 1990.

On this day, the Native American tribe of the Iroquois celebrate their annual Feast of the Dead to honor the souls of departed loved ones.

 

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October 30

Each year on this date, the Angelitos festival is held in Mexico to bless the souls of deceased children and to honor Xipe-Totec (the ancient god of death) and Tonantzin (the Guadualupe goddess of mercy).

On this day, write a secret wish on a piece of dried mandrake root. Burn it at the stroke of midnight in a fireproof container and then go outside and cast the ashes to the wind as you say thrice: "Spirits of fire, spirits of air; grant this secret wishing-prayer. Let the ashes of this spell, fix this midnight magick well."

 

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October 31

Halloween (also known as Samhain Eve, Hallowmas, All Hallow's Eve, All Saint's Eve, Festival of the Dead, and the Third Festival of Harvest).

Every year on this day, the most important of the eight Witches' Sabbats is celebrated by Wiccans throughout the world with traditional Pagan feasts, bonfires, and rituals to honor the spirits of deceased loved ones. The divinatory arts of scrying and rune-casting are traditionally practiced by Wiccans on this magickal night, as in standing before a mirror and making a secret wish.

The last night of October was the ancient Celt's New Year's Eve. It marked the end of the Summer and the beginning of Winter (also known as the dark half of the year).

In many parts of the world, special cakes and food are prepared for the dead on this night.

In Ireland, a Halloween festival is celebrated annually for the ancient Pagan goddess Tara.

This day is sacred to the goddesses Cerridwen, Eurydice, Hecate, Hel, Inanna, Kali, the Morrigan, Nephthys, Oya, Samia, Sedna, Tara, and Vanadis. On this day in the year 1970, the Parks Department of New York granted the Witches International Craft Associates (W.I.C.A.) a permit to hold a "Witch-in". The event was held in Sheep Meadow and more than one thousand persons attended.

 

 

November

 

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November, the eleventh month of the current Gregorian calendar and the third month of Autumn's rule, derives its name from novem, the Latin word meaning "nine," as November was the ninth month of the old Roman Calendar.

The traditional birthstone amulet of November is the topaz; and the chrysanthemum is the month's traditional flower.

November is shared by the astrological signs of Scorpio the Scorpion and Sagittarius the Centaru-Archer, and is sacred to the following Pagan deities: Astarte, Calleach, Hathor, Kali, Maman, and Sekhmet.

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November 1

On this day in ancient Rome, the harvest-goddess of fruit trees, orchards, and all fruit-bearing plants was honored with a festival called the Pomonia (Feast of Pomona) which marked the end of the growing season.

Many modern Witches celebrate the day after the Halloween Sabbat with a feast commemorating fruition, maturity, immortality and resurrection.

All Saints' Day. This is one of the most magickal and powerful days of the year to practitioners of Voodoo, and a time to perform rituals for spiritual strength and protection against evil loas (spirit-gods).

In Latin America and Spain, the Day of the Dead is celebrated on this date with offerings of food to honor the spirits of deceased loved ones.

A festival known as Cailleach's Reign is celebrated annually on this date by many Pagans throughout Ireland and Great Britain in honor of the ancient Celtic Crone-Goddess.

 

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November 2

All Souls' Day. In England, small offerings known as soul cakes are traditionally set out for the dead every year on this date.

According to folklore, this is considered to be an extremely unlucky day for wedding ceremonies. Those who are wed on All Souls' Day are sure to be cursed with misfortune, illness, divorce, or an early death.

 

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November 3

On this date in the year 1324, a Witch named Dame Alice Kyteler suffered death by fire in the first and most famous Witch trial to take place in Ireland. Nine others were arrested, found guilty, and sentenced to various punishments.

In Egypt, the final day of the Isia takes place on this day. This annual festival celebrates the rebirth of the god Osiris through the sacred and life-giving milk of Isis.

 

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November 4

In ancient times, a Pagan festival honoring the Lord of Death was celebrated in England every year on this night (the Eve of Guy Fawkes Day). The bonfires and mischievous pranks associated with modern England's Mischief Night are actually remnants of the old Pagan customs.

 

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November 5

Every year on this date, young men gather in Shebbear, England, to turn a large red rock called the Devil's Boulder. The centuries-old custom of turning the one-ton rock (which was flung into the village square by the Devil himself, according to English folklore) conjures up ancient magickal powers and brings peace and prosperity to the village.

 

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November 6

On this day, the birth of Tiamat ( an ancient Babylonian goddess known as the Dragon Mother) is celebrated. According to mythology, Tiamat and her consort Apsu gave birth to all the gods of the world, and the earth and the heavens were created from Dragon Mother's severed body.

 

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November 7

Night of Hecate. In ancient Greece, a fire festival was held once a year on this night to honor the goddess Hecate.

Modern Witches invoke Hecate for protection and fertility, as she is both a protectress of all Witches and an ancient deity associated with fertility.

In the Hawaiian Islands, the ancient god Lono is honored annually on this day by the Hawaiian Harvest Festival. The Makahiki festival also takes place in Hawaii on this day.

 

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November 8

In Haiti, farmers make offerings of yams to their family's ancestral spirits and household gods every year on this day (approximately) in order to insure a bountiful harvest in the next year.

Hettsui No Kami, the kitchen-range goddess, is honored on this day in Japan with an annual Shinto festival called the Fuigo Matsuri.

 

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November 9

In Thailand, a traditional witch-magick ritual is performed annually on this date. Banana peels and lotus leaves are made into little boats and filled with candles and various offerings to the gods (such as incense, coins, and gardenia flowers). Secret wishes are made as the "boats" are set adrift on a river, and if the candles keep burning until they are out of view, the wishes are said to come true.

 

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November 10

On this date in olden times, Old November Eve was celebrated throughout the Scottish countryside. The goddess Nicnevin was honored with prayers and feasts, and it was believed that she rode through the air and made herself visible to mortals on this night.

On this date (approximately) in the year 1493, famous Hermetic philosopher and alchemist Paracelsus was born in Einsiedeln, Switzerland. (However, other sources give his date of birth as December 17, 1493.) Paracelsus possessed remarkable healing powers and believed in a universal natural magick. Contrary to many writings about him, he was not a sorcerer or a practitioner of ceremonial magick (in fact, he was known to be rather skeptical of the so-called Black Arts); however, he did believe in astrology and often used magickal astrological talismans (inscribed with planetary symbols) in his medical practices. He died a mysterious death in Salzburg in the year 1541.

 

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November 11 Old November Day

In Ireland, the Faerie Sidhe is honored on this day with an annual Pagan Festival known as the Lunatshees.

A festival called the Day of the Heroes is celebrated annually on this day by Pagans and Wiccans in northern Europe. The ancient deities of the Norse mythos are honored with prayers and merry feasts.

On this day, the annual feast of Vinalia was observed by the ancient Greeks in honor of the wine-god Bacchus.

 

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November 12

An annual festival called the Epulum Jovis in Capitola was celebrated on this date in ancient times in honor of Jupiter (the supreme god of the ancient Roman religion, identified with the Greek god Zeus) and the goddesses Minerva and Juno. Animal sacrifices were made at temples in the city of Rome and bonfires were set ablaze at sunset.

 

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November 13

Back in medieval times, the thirteenth day after the Witches' Sabbat of Halloween was considered a day of darkness, evil, and misfortune. It was believed to be a time when necromancers and sorcerers of the left-handed path summoned up evil spirits and demons to assist them in their practice of the Black Arts.

In some parts of the world, the old superstition persists that if the thirteenth day after Halloween falls on a Friday, all persons born on that day will possess the power of the evil eye.

 

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November 14

On this date, an annual Druidic festival known as the Feast of the Musicians is celebrated by many Wiccans to honor the ancient Celtic gods of music. Traditional Pagan folk songs are sung around an open fire as various offerings are

cast into the flames.

At temples throughout India, children gather annually on this day to receive divine blessings from the Children's Goddesses: Befana, Mayauel, Rumina, and Surabhi.

 

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November 15

Ferona, an ancient goddess who presides over fire, fertility, and woodlands, is honored annually on this day with a Pagan festival called the Feronia.

In Japan, a centuries-old ritual for good health (Shichi-Go-San) is performed annually on this date in Shinto shrines. The ceremony involves children who have reached the ages of three, five, and seven. At the end, the children are given candy blessed and decorated with symbols of good fortune.

On this date in the year 1280, German alchemist and ceremonial magician Albertus Magnus died. According to legend, he discovered the Philosopher's Stone and also created a supernatural zombie-like servant using natural magick and astrological science.

 

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November 16

On this date (approximately), the annual Festival of Lights is celebrated in India to mark the Hindu New Year. Candles are lit to honor Lakshmi (the goddess who presides over wealth, prosperity, and sexual pleasures), and homes are decorated with ancient good-fortune ritual designs called kolams.

 

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November 17

The last of three annual festivals of death is observed in certain regions of China on this day (approximately). Paper clothing and money labeled with the names of the dead are traditionally burned as offerings to ancestors in the spirit world.

On this date in the year 1907, famous occultists and author Israel Regardie was born in England. He belonged to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and was a onetime secretary of Aleister Crowley. He wrote numerous books which continue to be popular among Witches, Neo-Pagans, and practitioners of the occult arts. Regardie died in the year 1983.

 

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November 18

Ardvi, a Persian goddess believed to the Mother of the Stars, is honored annually on this date with a sacred festival called the Ardvi Sura (The Day of Ardvi). The festival, which takes place under the nighttime stars, has been celebrated by the faithful in southwestern Asia since ancient times.

 

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November 19

Warlock Day. According to medieval superstitious belief, the first stranger you meet on this day who is dressed in black from head to toe will be a warlock (a male Witch). Take care not to look him directly in the eyes; otherwise you will become bewitched.

 

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November 20

On this night, when the Pleiades (a cluster of stars in the constellation of Taurus) become visible to the naked eye, native rituals and celebrations begin in Hawaii to mark the beginning of their harvest season and to honor and give thanks to the ancient god Lono.

 

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November 21

In ancient times, a joyous Mayan festival honoring the god Kukulcan began each year on this date. The celebration lasted for several days and nights.

This day is also sacred to the Pagan gods Chango, Damballah, Quetzalcoatl, and Tammuz.

 

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November 22

On this date (approximately), the Sun enters the astrological sign of Sagittarius. Persons born under the sign of the Centaur-Archer are said to be optimistic, enthusiastic, curious, and often outspoken and prone to exaggeration. Sagittarius is a fire sign and is ruled by the planet Jupiter.

 

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November 23

On this day in England, Saint Clement (the patron of ironworkers) is honored with elaborate rituals. However, in ancient times, this day was celebrated with a Pagan feast in honor of the wizard-blacksmith of the Saxon deities.

In Japan, a rice harvest celebration called the Shinjosai Festival for Konohana-Hime is held yearly on this date. It is dedicated to the granddaughter goddess of the solar deity Amaterasu.

 

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November 24

In Japan, the annual festival known as Tori-No-Ichi takes place on or around this date. Traditionally, special bamboo rakes decorated with symbols of good fortune are carried through the streets in order to attract benevolent spirits.

In ancient Egypt, the sacred goddesses of light and birth were honored and invoked annually on or around this day with prayers, libations, and the ritual burning of special lamps.

 

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November 25

Windmill Blessing Day. In days of old, many millers in Holland would bless their windmills on or around this date each year by throwing a handful or two of flour into the wind as an offering to appease the mischievous invisible entities known as the Windmill Spirits.

 

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November 26

On this day (approximately), annual manhood initiation rites are performed by young males in the Basari villages of Senegal. The centuries-old ceremonies are followed by a joyous celebration of dancing, singing, and athletic competition.

A centuries-old fire festival takes place every year on this day in Tibet. The festival is dedicated to the ancient goddesses who rule

over light and fire.

 

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November 27

The Indian Mother-Goddess known as Gujeswari is honored on or around this date each year by Buddhists and Hindus in Nepal. Prayers are recited throughout the day, and a musical procession fills the streets with sacred songs after sunset.

In India, a religious festival called the Parvati-Devi takes place on this day each year. It honor the triple goddess known as the Mother of the Universe, whose three goddess aspects are Sarasvati (Maiden), Lakshmi (Mother), and Parvati (Crone).

 

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November 28

Sophia, the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom and inner truth, is honored and invoked annually on this day by cants, libations, and secret Pagan rituals performed by those who seek to acquire arcane knowledge.

 

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November 29

Each year on this night (according to ancient legend), vampires in Rumania are believed to rise up from their graves after a year-long sleep and walk the Earth in search of human blood. Garlic and crucifixes are hung on doors

and windows for protection.

In ancient Egypt, the Feast of Hathor as Sekhmet was held each year on this day. It honored the lion-headed goddess of battle, who was also the consort of the moon-god Ptah.

 

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November30 Saint Andrew's Night

In many rural villages in Germany, young women still perform traditional love-divinations on this night. Using various methods of fortune-telling, they read omens and dreams to find out about their future husbands and marriages.

On this date in the year 1942, Otter Zell (Pagan priest and the founder of The Church of All Worlds) was born in Saint Louis, Missouri.

 

 

December

 

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December, the twelfth and final month of the current Gregorian calendar and the first month Winter, derives its name from decem, the Latin word meaning "ten," as December was the tenth month of the old Roman calendar.

The traditional birthstone amulets of December are the blue zircon and turquoise; and holly, mistletoe, and poinsettia are the month's traditional flowers.

December is shared by the astrological signs of Sagittarius the Centaur-Archer and Capricorn the Goat, and is sacred to the following Pagan deities: Attis, Dionysus, Frey, Freya (or Freyja), Kriss Kringle (the Pagan god of Yule), Lucina, Woden, and the Wiccan Horned God (consort of the Wiccan Goddess).

During the month of December, the Great Solar Wheel of the Year is turned to the Winter Solstice, one of the four Lesser Sabbats celebrated each year by Wiccans and modern Witches throughout the world.

 

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December 1

In some parts of the world, the first day of December is the traditional time for young girls to perform the ancient art of cromniomancy (divination by onion sprouts) to find out the name of their future husband.

To find out who your future husband will be, take some onions and upon each one carve or write a different man's name. Place the onions near a fire and the man whose name is on the onion that sprouts first will be the one.

 

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December 2

In what is now known as Bodh Gaya, India, the world's oldest and most sacred tree (planted in the year 282 B.C. and believed to be an offshoot of the Bodhi or Bo-tree that the Buddha sat under when he achieved enlightenment) is honored annually on this date by Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims with prayers, chants,

and brightly colored flags.

On this day, an annual women's festival called Hari Kugo (Broken Needles) takes place in the city of Tokyo. It commemorates women's crafts and is dedicated to all patron goddesses of Japanese craftswomen.

 

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December 3

In ancient Rome, secret women's rites were performed annually on this date in honor of Bona Dea, the Good Goddess. All males were barred from the ceremonies, which were conducted by vestal virgins.

In ancient Greece, this day was sacred to the goddess Cybele and also to Rhea, the Great Mother of the Earth.

 

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December 4

On this date in ancient Rome, the goddess Minerva was honored with an annual festival. Minerva (the Roman counterpart of the Greek Athena) is a goddess of battle and also a patroness of the arts and wisdom.

In West Africa, this day is sacred to the Yoruban god Chango. He is a god of lightning bolts, and the son of the deities Yemaya and Orungan.

 

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December 5

In ancient Greece, an annual seaside festival (the Poseidea) was celebrated annually on this date to honor the sea-god Poseidon, consort of the Mother Goddess.

In Italy, the First Feast of Saint Lucia is held on this date each year. Before being Christianized into a Saint, she was originally worshiped as Lucina, a Pagan goddess of light who also presided over childbirth.

 

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December 6

On this day in the year 1890, famous occultists and ritual magician Dion Fortune was born in Wales. Although Ms. Fortune never proclaimed herself to be a Witch, her numerous writings are popular among (and inspiring to) many modern Witches, Wiccans, and Neo-Pagans around the world. She died from leukemia

on January 8, 1946.



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December 7

On this date in ancient Greece, an annual rite called the Haloia of Demeter was performed. According to mythology, each year the goddess Demeter wanders the earth in search of her stolen daughter Persephone. The goddess' sorrow brings Winter to the world and all trees and flowers cease to bloom; however, Spring returns when Persephone is allowed to temporarily leave the darkness of the Underworld and Demeter once again rejoices.

 

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December 8

On this day, the birth of the ancient and powerful goddess of the sun (Amaterasu) is celebrated annually at Shinto temples throughout Japan.

In Egypt, the Festival of Neith is celebrated annually on this date to honor the Earth-Goddess of the Delta.

 

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December 9

The ninth day of the last month of the year (along with the sixth and seventh days) is considered to be an extremely unlucky time, according to Grafton in his Manuel (a sixteenth-century book of unlucky days as determined by professional star-gazers).

In Mexico, the healing virgin-goddess Tonantzin is honored on this day with an annual festival called the Fiesta of the Mother of Health.

 

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December 10

On this night (approximately), Inuit hunters in the far north begin an annual five-day series of purification rites, followed by a propitiation ceremony under the full moon, for the souls of the animals they had hunted in the last year. The December Moon ceremony has been performed in the Arctic coastal regions of North America

for hundreds of years.

 

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December 11

Day of Bruma. On this date, the ancient Roman goddess of the winter season was honored by Pagans in Italy with an annual festival.

This day is also sacred to Arianrhod, the Snow Queen goddess,

and Yuki Onne.

 

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December 12

The victories of good over evil and light over darkness are celebrated annually at sunset on this date (approximately) with the Zoroastrian fire festival of Sada.

In Mexico, the annual Our Lady of Guadalupe religious festival takes place on this day. It is a sacred day to the goddesses Coatlique, Tonantzin,

and the Black Madonna.

 

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December 13

Saint Lucia's Day. On this day, a candlelight festival is celebrated throughout Sweden. The first-born daughter of each family wears a flowing white gown and a crown of candles around her head, obviously in reference to the ancient Pagan symbols of fire and life-giving light. The daughter traditionally serves her mother and father breakfast in bed.

 

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December 14

On this date in the year 1503, the famous French prophet and astrologer Michel de Nostradamus was born in Saint Remy de Provence. He experienced many psychic visions during his childhood, and he later studied the Holy Qabalah, astrology, astronomy, medicine, and mathematics. The first collection of his uncannily accurate visions, written in the form of rhymed quatrains, was published in the year 1555. Three years later, a second and larger collection of his prophecies--reaching into the year 3979--was published. Nostradamus died on July 1, 1566.



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December 15

Halcyon Days. According to ancient legend, the seven days before the winter solstice and the seven days following it are a special time of tranquility and calm, due to the magickal powers of the halcyon (a fabled bird who nested on the sea and calmed the wind and the waves during the winter solstice).

In Puerto Rico, the Yule Child is honored by a religious festival called Navidades, which begins annually on this day. It is celebrated until the sixth of January.

 

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December 16

In Mexico, the Yule Child is honored by a religious festival called Posadas, which begins annually on this day. It is celebrated until the twenty-fourth of December.

This day is sacred to the Pagan wisdom-goddesses Athena, Kista, Maat, Minerva, the Shekinah, and Sophia.

The Soyal ceremony is celebrated annually on this date (approximately) by the Native American tribe of the Hopi in the southwestern United States. The rites of the Soyal celebrate the return of the sun (Life) and commemorate the creation and rebirth of the Spider Woman and Hawk Maiden.

 

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December 17

Saturnalia. The Roman god Saturn was honored in ancient times during this annual midwinter festival, which began on this date and lasted until the twenty-fourth of December. This was a week of feasting, merriment, gift-giving, charades, and the lighting of torches and candles.

 

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December 18

On this day in Latvia, the birth of the god Diev and the rebirth of the Sun is celebrated annually with a four-day winter festival. Houses are festively decorated and traditional feasts are prepared to welcome the four gift-bearing celestial beings who are the heralds of the winter solstice.

On the second day of the Saturnalia, the ancient Romans celebrated the Eponalia (a feast dedicated to Epona, the Celtic Mother-Goddess and a patroness of horses).

 

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December 19

On the third day of the Saturnalia, the ancient Romans celebrated the Opalia, a feast dedicated to Ops (Abundance), the harvest goddess of fertility and success, and the consort of the god Saturn. This day was also sacred to the Roman fertility goddess Sabine.

The Hindu goddess Sankrant is honored annually on this date (approximately) by a Hindu Solstice celebration called Pongol.

 

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December 20

On this day in the year 1946, famous Israeli psychic Uri Geller was born in Tel Aviv. He is renowned for his psychokinetic ability to bend metal objects by stroking them with his fingers and to stop clocks simply by gazing upon them. His metal-bending and mind-reading abilities developed at the age of five when he was accidentally shocked by his mother's electric sewing machine. He began his career as a full-time professional stage performer in 1969.

 

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December 21

On the first day of winter (which normally occurs on or near this date), the Winter Solstice Sabbat is celebrated by Wiccans and Witches throughout the world. Winter Solstice (which is also known as Yule, Winter Rite, Midwinter, and Alban Arthan) is the longest night of the year, marking the time when the days begin to grow longer and the hours of darkness decrease. It is the festival of the Sun's rebirth, and a time to honor the Horned God. (The aspect of the God invoked at this Sabbat by certain Wiccan traditions is Frey, the Scandinavian fertility god and a deity associated with peace and prosperity.) Love, family togetherness, and accomplishments of the past year are also celebrated. On this Sabbat, Witches bid farewell to the Great Mother and welcome the reborn Horned God who rules the dark half of the year.

 

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December 22

On this date (approximately), the Sun enters the astrological sign of Capricorn. Persons born under the sign of the Goat are said to be ambitious, practical, loyal, and often reclusive. Capricorn is an earth sign and is ruled by the planet Saturn.

On this date in the year 1970, famous Wiccan authors Stewart and Janet Farrar founded their own coven. The Farrars, a husband and wife team, have written many popular Witchcraft books together.

 

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December 23

In early times, a Pagan religious ceremony called the Laurentina was held in Rome each year on this date. It celebrated the recovery of light from the darkness of the winter solstice, and was dedicated to the goddess Acca Laurentia or Lara (the mother of the Lares).

The demigod Balomain is honored annually by the Kalash people with a weeklong festival called the Chaomos, which begins on this date.

 

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December 24

Christmas Eve. According to Finnish folklore, the ghosts of departed loved ones return home each year on this night. It is a Christmas Eve tradition in Finland and in many other parts of Europe for families to light white candles on the graves of their ancestors.

According to superstition, if a man proposes to his beloved on Christmas Eve and she accepts, they will surely enjoy a happy and love-filled marriage.

 

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December 25

Birthday of the Invincible Sun (Dies Natalis Invicti Solis). Before being Christianized as the Mass of Christ (Christmas), a festival honoring the god of the sun was celebrated on this day in ancient Rome. It was made a public holiday by the Emperor Aurelian in the year A.D. 272 and consisted of the

lighting of sacred bonfires.

On Christmas Day, according to German folklore, a Yuletide Witch known as the Lutzelfrau flies through the sky on her broom, bringing mischief to mortals who fail to honor her with small presents. Another Yuletide Witch of German folklore is Perchta. In the southern regions of the country, it was an old Yuletide custom for children wearing masks and carrying besoms (Witch brooms) to go door to door (in "trick or treat" fashion) begging for gifts in the name of Perchta.

 

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December 26

On this day, the first day of Yuletide begins. It continues until the Twelfth-day (January 6).

The Junkanoo festival takes place annually on this day in the Bahama Islands. Old gods are honored and ancient magick is reinvoked as music, dancing, and costumed marchers fill the streets until the crack of dawn.

This day is sacred to various deities from around the world. Among them are Frau Sonne, Igaehindvo, the Star Faery, Sunne, and Yemaya.

 

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December 27

On this day in the year 1959, Gerina Dunwich (eclectic Witch, professional astrologer, and author of many Witchcraft books, including the one you are now reading) was born in Chicago, Illinois under the sign of

Capricorn with a Taurus rising.

The birth of Freya (the Norse goddess of fertility, love, and beauty) is celebrated on this day. Annual Pagan festivals in her honor are celebrated throughout the world by many Wiccans of the Saxon tradition.

 

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December 28

On this day, an annual festival of peace and spiritual renewal is celebrated in parts of China. Offerings are made to gods and spirits, and a paper horse containing the names of all the members of the temple is set on fire in the ancient Taoist belief that the rising smoke will take the names up to heaven.

 

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December 29

During this period, the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights (also known as Hanukkah or Chanukah) is observed by Jews throughout the world. On each night of the festival, one additional candle is lit on a ceremonial nine-branched candelabrum called a menorah.

In ancient Greece, a Pagan religious festival called the Day of Nymphs was celebrated on this day in honor of Andromeda, Ariadne, and Artemis (the Greek counterpart of the goddess Diana).

 

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December 30

On this date in the year 1916, Rasputin (a famous Russian mystic monk, occultist, and court magician) was assassinated by his enemy Prince Feliks Yusupov. Rasputin, who was drowned in the frozen Neva River, presaged his own death.

 

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December 31

New Year's Eve. The modern custom of ringing bells and blowing horns to usher in the new year at midnight is actually derived from the old Pagan custom of noisemaking to scare away the evils of the old year.

In certain parts of Japan, young men put on grotesque demon masks and costumes made of straw and go door to door collecting donations of money, rice cakes, and sake. This traditional New Year's Eve custom serves to drive out the demons of misfortune and ensure an abundant harvest for the new year.

 

 

Crimsonwolf

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